


Sincere Harmonies

by mbpokemonrulez



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Hugs, I needed content so I made my own, Love, Sweet, Very fluffy, but it's worth it, happy things, i'm weak to Lukanette okay, like you might get a cavity ok, semi-canon au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2020-04-05 19:51:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19047211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mbpokemonrulez/pseuds/mbpokemonrulez
Summary: Post-Silencer (like, immediately after the end of the episode)After endlessly wrestling with her own self-doubts, the dust finally settles in Marinette's heart as she realizes what she wants. Having heard Luka's declaration of love, knowing for sure that it's not just in her head, she feels ready to move forward at last.But what will happen when destiny intervenes? What will become of the world when a single decision could sway the hands of time into unexplored dimensions of existence? Can love overcome a centuries' old prophetic system without tearing apart the peace?Unbeknownst to Marinette, Ladybug's purpose is no longer just about stopping Hawkmoth.





	1. The Beat

“That was a declaration of love… right, Tikki?”

“Yes! And the most beautiful one I’ve ever heard in my life!” 

Marinette could still feel her heart racing. It was real, confirmed, without a doubt -- Luka has real feelings for her. Through good and through evil, he loved her. She sighed as the weight of uncertainty and doubt washed away from her. Her eyes couldn’t leave Luka’s retreating form as he walked over to the set. 

The performance was electric. As always, Kitty Section delivered an original sound that elicited feelings of truth and excitement from Marinette’s heart. Complete with the flashing lights and thundering bass under her toes, Marinette was fully engrossed in the sound. 

There was a certain pride in knowing that her creations were currently gracing televisions across Paris and that her friends were about to become contracted musicians, but as she stood on the sidelines, her mind kept returning to Luka. With each strum of his guitar, Marinette’s heart thumped deeply. Her hands shook. Her breaths were shallow. Her stomach churned as he made eye contact with her through his mask, the muscles in her cheeks instinctively pulling into a smile. 

For the first time in a very long while, the racing thoughts in her mind felt good. They felt definite and positive. She finally knew what she wanted. All this time of being so uncertain about where she stood with Luka pulled her heart back and forth between him and Adrien, but the dust was finally beginning to settle. By just looking her way again, Luka pulled Marinette closer and closer to him. 

* * *

After receiving thundering applause from everyone in the crew -- even the horrid Bob Roth himself -- Kitty Section removed their masks and armor and celebrated their first-ever television performance with congratulatory hugs and high-fives. Marinette ran up to them with her arms waving wildly. 

“That was amazing!” She said as she pulled Rose and Juleka into an embrace. Soon after she felt extra weight as Ivan and Luka joined the hug. Marinette peeked an eye open, catching the happy expressions on everyone’s faces. She paused at Luka’s, who was just above her head. Her smile grew wider as heat rose to her cheeks and she shut her eyes once more. 

After releasing her friends, Marinette kept bouncing in place, unable to contain her excitement. 

“I can’t believe you guys are going to make your first professional CD!” 

“I know!” Ivan said as he pumped his fists in the air.  
“It’s so exciting to share our music with all of Paris!” Rose said as she suddenly clung to Juleka’s arm, who patted Rose’s head in response. 

Marinette turned to Luka. “Your melodies will inspire the entire city!” 

He smiled at her -- that signature grin that made her heart do cartwheels. 

“As will your costumes, Marinette.”

Marinette gave a nervous giggle as Rose, Juleka, and Ivan made their way over to Alec and Mr. Roth. Before Luka could join them, Marinette took hold of his wrist. 

“Luka, wait!” 

He turned around to look at her, that smile still on his face while his eyes looked at her curiously. Marinette took a deep breath. Those eyes always seemed to leave her speechless. 

Perhaps this wasn’t the right time for words anyway. 

Briefly bracing herself, she threw her arms around Luka’s shoulders and buried her face in the nape of his neck. She felt him stumble a bit before relaxing, and after a few moments two arms slowly wrapped around her back. Her face was on fire from the contact, yet she couldn’t help her smile from growing. She felt Luka pull her in closer and settled his face in her hair. His skin felt smooth against hers, and it drew her in deeper. 

Time seemed to stand still as they just stayed in their embrace, completely unaware of any approving onlookers.

After what seemed like ages, Marinette’s eyes shot open as she felt a soft pressure against her temple -- a small kiss, somewhat cautionary yet unequivocal, that sent her body into a fit of tremors. She pulled back just enough to look at Luka. His cheeks were flushed and his lidded eyes betrayed relief and happiness as they bore into hers. Those eyes that made her heart sing with delight. She couldn’t look away.

He silently leaned in closer to her. Her eyes widened, shooting between his eyes and his lips, her breathing erratic. 

Without breaking eye contact with her, Luka gently touched his forehead to hers with a small chuckle. Marinette sighed as she slowly closed her eyes and leaned into the contact. Her breathing gradually slowed once more as she let the warmth from Luka’s touch engulf her senses. 

When she opened her eyes again she found him still looking at her softly. With pure certainty in his eyes, he pulled away and took Marinette’s hand in his own. The sudden absence of his arms around her left Marinette cold, yet her face still radiated immense amounts of heat. 

“Let’s meet up like this again soon, Marinette.” 

His tone was soft and smooth, and his words sat like a promise in Marinette’s mind. She gave Luka’s hand a little squeeze. 

“Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello!
> 
> This is the first fic I've ever written with the intention of posting here, and I am so excited about it!
> 
> I love ML so much -- the characters mean a lot to me! Honestly I've been a diehard Adrienette fan (like most folks) up to now, but ever since Luka entered the scene I've adored him as a character. And especially after Silencer, I've totally jumped onto the Lukanette train. I have a lot of feelings about this. 
> 
> I kept thinking about what must've happened right after that episode ended. There's no way that there wasn't something done about what Luka said, right?? :D so here's what I like to think happened. 
> 
> This is a very tiny thing rn but I may add more in the future if there's enough interest -- please let me know if you'd like to see more! Would love to see what y'all think of this little piece!
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! Stick around for more possible content! <3


	2. The Key

Marinette arrived at home later that night, exhausted from the day’s events. She was used to the fatigue that came with being a superhero, but the extra emotional toll of the day was not something she was prepared for. 

She laid in her bed with a flop, and even though it had been hours ago, Marinette could still feel the warmth and comfort that Luka’s embrace had given her. A smile tugged at her lips for perhaps the hundredth time that day as she closed her eyes and began to mentally relive that blissful moment. 

Tikki flew out of Marinette’s handbag and up to her face. 

“Someone’s in a good mood!” 

Marinette turned towards her little companion, the bliss still evident in her expression. 

“Tikki, I can’t believe this is happening.” She wrapped her arms around herself.  
“I mean, Luka actually has feelings for me. Me! The clumsiest girl in all of Paris!”

“Marinette, you deserve this! Luka’s a good guy who clearly likes you a lot.”

Marinette giggled, secretly glad to have Tikki’s approval. She turned to her side and what she saw suddenly had her feeling cold again. 

Staring back at her was her bulletin board, filled with photographs of Adrien. Only now was she realizing just how many of them littered the walls of her room. She sat up with a start. 

“Are you alright, Marinette?” Tikki voiced her concern at the sudden change of atmosphere. 

Marinette stared at the photo before her, of a smiling Adrien at his latest magazine photoshoot, and sighed. 

“Yeah.” With a smile, she reached for the photo and took it down from its perch.  
“I think it’s time to redecorate around here.” 

Marinette searched everywhere -- on her walls, under her bed, in frames on her desk, through every last drawer -- for various magazine cuttings and downloaded pictures from the internet that she had so obsessively hidden about her abode. After a full forty-five minutes, she had successfully scoured the entire room and removed every such photo of Adrien residing in it. The only ones that remained on her wall were group photos of them with their friends, as well as one with the two of them from a previous hangout. 

She held the large pile of photos in her hands just above the trash can. With a sigh and a promise to herself to take out the trash tomorrow, she deposited them all inside the can. Tikki flew up to her.

“I’m proud of you, Marinette. That must’ve been hard to do after all this time.”

Marinette made her way back to her bed. 

“It’s weird, but now when I think about Adrien, I can’t help but remember every time I tried to tell him about my feelings. Something always went wrong. Like when I tried to write him that letter -- it got mixed up with Master Fu’s prescription! Or just trying to tell him to his face… something always seemed to hold me back.” She sighed. “It was almost like the universe knew it wouldn’t work out. Plus, Luka’s really great. I find myself really excited at the thought of seeing him again. I-- I can really see myself with him.”

Tikki smiled at Marinette’s reflective expression. As the two settled in for the night, Marinette turned to her side and wrapped her arms around herself once more. With the thought of Luka’s warmth engulfing her senses, she drifted to sleep. 

* * *

“No way! This is wild, Marinette!”

A couple days later, all of the girls had come over to Marinette’s after school and Marinette caught them up on her feelings about Luka. 

She had expected there to be more skepticism at such a quick turnaround from her age-old crush on Adrien, but everyone seemed to be really excited. Some even seemed relieved. 

“Honestly, I was counting down the days. It’s so obvious how into you Luka is!” Alix said from her spot on the floor. Everyone else joined in agreement, Juleka especially nodding her head slowly to emphasize the point.  
Marinette could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks. 

“Wait, what? For how long?” 

There was a collective sigh. 

“Since the day you met, girl! Alya threw her hands in the air. 

Mylène chuckled. “I remember it so well! He wouldn’t stop looking at you that whole day, and you’re all he worried about when Captain Hardrock was attacking us.”

“He also makes a point of checking on you whenever we’re at rehearsal!” Rose said cheerfully.

Wracked with bewilderment, Marinette thought back to what Luka had said to her: 

“You’re the song that I keep hearing in my head ever since we first met.”

So he hadn’t been exaggerating. The heat in her face intensified as a million questions entered her head. What had Luka seen in her that day? How had she not realized his feelings this whole time? Was she really that focused on Adrien? Or did her own doubt countlessly get the best of her? 

“I love you Marinette, but you can be so checked-out sometimes.” Alya stood and put a hand on Marinette’s shoulder, snapping her back to reality.  
“That doesn’t matter now, though. What matters is that you’re both on the same page. And I couldn’t be happier for you!”

The rest of the group rose to their feet and gave Marinette a group hug. 

“Well nothing’s like, official official yet! I guess we still have to talk about that part.” She said with a nervous chuckle. She had meant to text Luka about when they’d meet up next to hopefully do just that. Just the thought of crafting such a message made her fingers quake. 

“Aw, it’ll be okay! There’s no doubt that it will be official! Ah, I just can’t wait to see you two walking around holding hands!!” Rose grinned widely at her, with a reassuring gaze that warmed Marinette’s core. 

“Thank you, girls. I don’t know what I’d do without you all. One more hug!” 

The girls gladly obliged as they piled onto the embrace. 

Just then, Marinette felt her phone buzz in her pocket. She let go of her friends to pull it out, and felt her heart jump when she saw Luka’s name on the screen. Her hands began to shake once more. 

“It’s him, isn’t it?” Alix asked, trying to peer over Marinette’s shoulder. Marinette quickly pulled away. 

“Hey!”  
“What did he say?” Mylène asked gently. 

Marinette opened the message and read it to herself, hearing his voice in her head with each word. 

‘Hey, Marinette. Hope you’re having a good day. Would you like to meet up sometime today? If you’re available, I’d love to see you.’ 

Marinette felt herself smile at his formal tone. Her eyes flicked over the words two, three times more, then glided over to the small photo of him that sat next to the message bubble. Without looking up from her screen she addressed her nosy friends, who had gradually moved in closer with eager expressions on their faces. 

“He wants to meet up today.” 

They shrieked in delight and piled into another hug, bouncing Marinette up and down with their collective excitement. Amongst the happy atmosphere, Marinette’s eyes suddenly went wide. Her smile fell. Her body went stiff as her heartbeat picked up in pace again. 

“Wait, wait!! Is this a date?” She looked down at her clothes.  
“What do I wear? What do I SAY?” She dragged her fingers down her face and helplessly stared at her friends. 

“You guys have to help me, I don’t know what to do!!” Marinette could feel the anxiety quickly pooling in her stomach, like heavy waves crashing against her organs. She pulled at her hair as the tips of her fingers began to prickle underneath her skin. Was she overanalyzing? Maybe. But what if she wasn’t? The risk wasn’t worth it -- she did not want to mess this up. 

The girls gave each other sly looks. 

“We got you, girl.” 

* * *

She’d promised to meet him at 19:00. It was currently 18:45. He insisted on picking her up, and Juleka warned that he’d likely show up early. He’d be outside any minute now. Marinette’s stomach refused to stop churning as she fidgeted in her seat while Mylène finished working on her hair. Alix and Rose had helped pick an outfit, Juleka had done makeup, and Alya had been a conversation coach. But as the clock continued to tick, Marinette felt less and less ready for what could be her very first date with Luka. Man, labels were exhausting. 

“I get why you’re nervous, Marinette, but once you’re actually with him, it’ll feel better.” Mylène said as she put in one last bobby pin. “There, you’re all set!” 

Marinette looked at her reflection in the vanity. Rose and Mylène had put her hair into an intricate but casual-looking bun. Juleka had done minimal makeup on her face, just enough to accentuate the already sharp corners of her face. And Alix had picked out a black, short-sleeve button-up with high-rise denim shorts, with pink sneakers. Her signature white bag sat at her hip. Marinette grinned. It was perfect -- a little more effort than she normally would put in, but not more than what was necessary, and she still felt like herself. She turned around to the girls, who were admiring the final product of their combined efforts. 

“You’re all miracle workers! Thanks for all your help tonight,” She took a deep breath. “I feel better knowing that you’ve all got my back.” 

“Always, Marinette!” Alya said as she took Marinette’s hand. “Now we’re gonna get out of here before your prince shows up. I expect full updates from you!” Alya gave her a coy smile before ushering the group downstairs, all of them sending well-wishes to Marinette as they left. 

Once she heard the door close, Marinette let out a big sigh and sat back down. She pulled out her phone -- 18:50. Any second now, he’d actually be here--

“Marinette!” 

Marinette shrieked, nearly dropping her phone out of surprise at her mother’s outburst. She ran over to the stairwell. 

“Yeah?” 

“Luka’s here, honey!” 

Marinette’s stomach lurched again, threatening to ground her in that very spot. Her knees wobbled as shivers went down her spine. She looked down to her bag, where Tikki sat. 

“Breathe, Marinette.” 

With a wink, Tikki closed the bag. Marinette steadied herself against the stair rail and took in a deep breath. After a few still moments, she slowly made her way down the stairs and towards the door that led down to the bakery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah -- I wrote some more!! And there's gonna be more to come, my friends!
> 
> I really got into this, I honestly didn't think I'd write more than that little chunk but I'm excited to develop this story more. I'm gonna try my best to stick to a regular update schedule for this piece. The inspiration is really flowing for me so I hope to ride it out as much as I can. 
> 
> I’ve come up with a lot of questions, so I’m gonna do what I can to answer them throughout this fic!
> 
> I hope y'all enjoy this next chapter -- I loved writing about all my favorite girls! The idea of them all getting together to help Marinette overcome her anxiety was really sweet to me. And accurate, as we've seen them rally together to help her in the past. 
> 
> Please let me know what you think, I love hearing from you all! 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! I'll see ya at the next chapter! <3


	3. The Time

When Marinette descended down the stairs, her eyes immediately found him. 

Talking casually with Sabine, Luka was a vision of clarity that had Marinette immediately sighing as the turbulent waves in her stomach finally calmed. She couldn’t help the smile being pulled onto her face. 

She took a moment to admire his appearance. His usual hoodie had been replaced with a black bomber jacket with a deep purple shirt underneath. His distressed jeans remained, and his usual shoes had been swapped out for teal sneakers. In short, he looked like a dream. 

Hardly a moment had passed before he spotted her over Sabine’s shoulder and gave her a smile. The same smile that made Marinette’s heart flip around in her ribcage. Marinette walked past the counter and stopped in front of him, her face already hot enough to make her dizzy. 

“Marinette, you look beautiful.” His eyes bore into hers, now widened by his sudden compliment. Marinette chuckled nervously, hardly registering the way her mother cooed at them from behind the counter. Luka held out a hand to her.

“You ready to go?” 

Marinette stared at his outstretched hand, noticing the usual ring and bracelets in place against his tan skin. She slowly gave him her hand and felt a shiver go through her as they touched.

“You two have fun now!” Sabine called out with a grin as they walked out the door, hand in hand.

* * *

As they walked along onto a bridge above the river, Marinette felt her anxiety lessen with each minute that went by. She knew how calming Luka’s presence could be, especially when he had his guitar with him, but only now was she realizing what a serene aura he gave off from just being at her side.  
She loved it. 

They made light conversation as they went, Luka asking about her day sent Marinette into today’s tale of Chloé’s antics, as well as the interruption of an akumatized student (caused by Chloé, to no one’s surprise). Luka gave her a look of amazement. 

“Wow, how do you handle seeing so many people get akumatized right around you? I’ve heard so many stories about people attacking your school.” 

Marinette was a bit surprised at the question, and reflexively glanced down at her handbag before returning her gaze to Luka’s curious eyes. 

“Well, I mainly just hide until the coast is clear, like most of us are told to do when it happens.” She said quickly with a nervous giggle. But after a moment her cover seemed to fall within her and she gave a small sigh.

“But more than anything, I just feel bad for the people that fall victim to Hawkmoth’s lies. He preys on their pain, sometimes on their deepest insecurities, and convinces them that the only way for them to get better is to do what he wants.” Her pace slowed as she spoke. She could feel bits of frustration floating about in her veins. Luka continued to gaze at her, matching her pace as he gently put a hand on her shoulder. 

“So many of my friends have been akumatized by him, and it breaks my heart every time.” Her feet had stopped walking completely and she turned towards Luka, her eyes locked on the ground before her.  
“When I realized that I was the reason you got akumatized… I felt so guilty. I guess I never thought that something like that could happen-”

“Marinette.”

She felt Luka’s gentle hand push her chin up to meet his gaze. His lips were pressed into a firm line and his eyes gave away concern, guilt, and… wait, is that… ?

...Yeah. That’s love. 

Marinette couldn’t help but stare, her cheeks blazing more and more with each passing moment. 

“I got akumatized because of how terribly Bob Roth treated you. I just couldn’t bear it,” He spoke firmly, but as he went on, his expression softened. “But you did not do anything wrong, okay?” His hand slowly moved from under Marinette’s chin to rest gently along her cheek. 

“It’s not fair to blame yourself for what happened.” 

Wow… who knew a voice like that would be enough to whisk away all of Marinette’s doubts. While slightly taken aback by the sheer seriousness in his face, Marinette slowly let out a breath and nodded. Luka gave her a smile and retracted his hand from her cheek. 

“You really are an extraordinary girl, Marinette. Always putting others before yourself,” He paused, glancing down at his feet before meeting her eyes again. His cheeks had gained a light dust of pink. “Your passion, it inspires me.” 

Marinette’s mouth gaped open before splitting into a smile. She found herself tongue-tied, her throat felt as though it was clogged with cotton. After a moment, Luka extended his hand.

“Shall we keep walking?” 

Marinette took his hand with ease, enjoying the warmth that it gave to her own. She could get used to this feeling, walking hand-in-hand with Luka. Perhaps Rose’s wish will come true sooner than Marinette imagined. 

* * *

As the sun slowly began to dip below the horizon, Marinette and Luka stopped in a little café to rest their feet. After placing their orders they found a table on the outdoor terrace with a perfect view of the ever-bustling, sun-kissed city before them. Marinette took in the view with a grin. She’d never get tired of just how scenic Paris is, especially at sunset. After a moment she turned her attention to Luka. His hair shone brightly under the sun’s gaze, his face half dipped in the orange light that hit his sharp features at just the right angle. The contrasting lights made the deep teal color of his eyes pop out even more than they usually did. 

‘Beautiful,’ the only word Marinette could think of to encompass the sight. 

“What’s your favorite time of day, Luka?” 

Luka brought his hand to his chin, seemingly in thought. Marinette took a quick liking to his thoughtful face -- his slightly furrowed brow and contemplative sideways gaze -- adorable. 

“I guess I’d have to say dusk,” He looked out towards the now lower-set sun, whose rays dyed the sky in varying shades of pink, purple, and blue as they led up to its deep orange base. “I see it as the gateway between one day and the next. Sometimes half of the sky will already be in darkness while the other is still light. There’s something comforting about how time comes together like that -- melodies meeting their harmonies.” 

He looked back at her awestruck expression. What else to expect from Luka but such a beautiful and unique way of seeing the world. 

“I-I love that.” She cursed her voice for cracking, her throat still feeling unbelievably dry. 

Luka smiled, the slightest blush evident on his cheeks. 

“Okay, my turn. What’s…” He trailed off, tilting his head at her and eliciting a giggle. “What’s your favorite kind of flower?” 

Marinette let out a breath as she contemplated the question. Out of so many options, one immediately popped into her mind.

“Sunflowers.” 

Luka smiled, staying silent to give her room to keep speaking.

“I just love how bright and strong they are. They remind me of the values I want to push for,” She looked down at her folded hands atop their small table. “I struggled with my confidence for a long time, but looking at sunflowers always put a smile on my face. It made me want to stand as proudly as they do.” 

She smiled, feeling nostalgia take her over for a moment before a wave of anxiety brought her back to the present, like a splash of cold water. 

“T-that probably sounds really weird, right? I’ve never actually told anyone that, hah, you probably think I’m nuts.” She laughed nervously as her eyes darted around, everywhere except Luka. She took a breath, suddenly feeling winded as if she’d been kicked in the gut. 

“Not at all.” 

She felt his familiar warmth as he took hold of her hand from across the table, forcing her eyes to look at his amused expression. 

“I actually really like how you see the world, Marinette.” He leaned forward in his chair and gave her hand a squeeze. 

The sun had almost disappeared entirely, a deep sea of pinks and blues outlining their silhouettes. 

* * *

“Thank you for inviting me out, Luka. This has been so fun.” 

They walked slowly up the riverbank, the sky now completely cloaked in a veil of darkness. The full moon reflected brightly in the water, its light shading their faces in a faint fluorescent hue. 

“Thank you for coming out, Marinette. It’s always such a wonderful time with you.” 

Marinette blushed, the heat in her face a complete contrast to the chill of the night. It'd take her a while to get used to such compliments. She subconsciously wrapped her arms around her torso. Her arms were covered in several tiny goosebumps that left a tingly texture under her skin when touched. She focused on the ground before her, watching her steps sync up with Luka’s. But a moment later, Luka’s feet had stopped walking and vanished from her sight. She looked over her shoulder and found he had taken off his jacket and was draping it onto her shoulders. Its warmth immediately soothed her, squashing the goosebumps as her skin greedily took it all in. She turned towards Luka.

“W-wait, won’t you get cold?” 

“Don’t worry, I don’t get cold very easily.” He came up to her side and they continued to walk. Marinette tugged the jacket up closer to her face, relishing the wave of heat.

She took in his look without the jacket. The deep purple color of his quarter-sleeved shirt contrasted beautifully with his skin and made him glow in the moonlight. Marinette couldn’t help but notice that the shirt accentuated his body at just the right areas: it brought out his broad shoulders, surprisingly muscled arms, and a torso that looked soft enough to nap on. Her face grew hotter as she pulled the jacket closer around her and shut her eyes, mentally scolding herself. 

“Thank you,” Her voice came out muffled. 

She waddled a bit at his side, unable to control the giddiness that such a small gesture brought out of her. Her lips broke into a large grin against the fabric of the jacket's collar. She hunched her shoulders in an attempt to suppress her giggles. 

He turned to look at her with a smile. He reached up and gently wrapped his hand around her shoulders. After stumbling into him with the sudden movement, she looked up to see his sly expression looking back at her. 

“I hope this is okay. You still looked like you were cold.” 

Marinette called BS. He’s totally teasing her. But she didn't even care. 

With a laugh, Marinette leaned into him. 

* * *

The walk eventually -- too quickly, in Marinette’s opinion -- led them back to the Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie. Obviously closed, the building stood dark and quiet, the surrounding streets devoid of activity. Luka still had his arm wrapped around Marinette, who had mindlessly clutched onto his hand as they went. Once they reached the front of the bakery, Luka unwinded himself and faced Marinette, keeping their hands clasped together. 

“This has been amazing, Marinette. I can’t believe how lucky I am to be able to spend this time with you.” 

Marinette couldn’t stop looking into those eyes, which betrayed Luka’s sincerity and bliss, that made Marinette’s knees suddenly feel weak. 

“I feel the same way, Luka.” 

Marinette moved to take off Luka’s jacket, only to be halted by his firm hands on her arms.

“No, keep it,” After giving her a quick once-over, he added, “It suits you.” 

He kept his hands on her arms lightly, and Marinette felt her shoulders relax at the touch. But something inside her wanted more. Taking in a breath, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Luka’s torso. Underneath her head she heard the steady (yet fast) rumble of his heart. Luka returned the embrace, one arm around Marinette’s shoulders and the other holding the back of her head. Marinette could feel his lips smiling into her hair. 

(and she’d thought right -- his chest was very soft. She definitely wouldn’t mind napping on it. Not that she was thinking about that for more than a few seconds…) 

She felt a gentle kiss be placed on her head, making blood rush to her cheeks and her arms pull him in closer. Luka pulled back just enough for his hand to come around from the back of her head to hold her cheek. 

“There are so many stars in your eyes, Marinette. It’s like they have their own universe.” 

Marinette sighed, unable to produce any words or to look away from him. She let his eyes pierce through her, like a ray of sun through the clouds. Something in them told her that he didn’t want this to end. She didn’t either. His thumb rubbed her cheek gently and she leaned into the touch. Marinette thought that she would not mind at all if he were to kiss her right then. 

She wouldn’t mind that one bit.

The familiar lean in of his head filled her with excitement. She felt her stomach fill with butterflies that flew all throughout her body in anticipation. His eyes slowly closed as he got closer. Marinette stole one last glance at Luka’s lips before letting her eyes fall shut, her nerves tingling with the prospect of a kiss. 

Her heart slightly dropped at the feeling of his forehead on hers. She blinked her eyes open to find Luka’s staring back at her, seemingly scanning her reaction. He let out a small chuckle at her tiny pout before pulling back to look at her sincerely. 

“I just want to make sure we’re both ready before that happens,” he said as if he’d read her mind. “I wouldn’t want there to be any regrets or hesitation. I hope that’s alright.” 

Marinette hadn’t expected that. She was stunned -- was she that easy to read, or was he just really intuitive? And how lucky she was that he was being so considerate. She gave a small nod. Luka took her hand in both of his. “Let’s do this again soon?” 

Marinette smiled and brought her free hand up to cover his. 

“It’s a date.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter three is here, and it's filled with fluff!!  
> I had a lot of fun with this! I felt like there would still be some unresolved feelings about Luka's akumatization at this point, so I wanted to take the time to clear up those loose ends and give us more of an insight into how Marinette feels about everything.  
> We also get to see them get to know each other and spend some real quality time together outside of Kitty Section and outside of coincidence, which will be super important going forward.  
> I have a strong plan for this story now, so I hope you all will stick around to see what happens with these two! No kiss yet, but aren't you curious to see if it's in their (maybe) near future??? ;D  
> As always I love hearing from you all, so if you can, pls let me know what you think of this chapter!  
> Thank you so much for reading! See you at the next chapter! <3


	4. The Note

“Bye bye, little butterfly!” 

The little white butterfly flew into the clouds as Ladybug used her power to restore the akumatized victim. 

“Pound it!” 

Nadja Chamack ran up to Ladybug and Chat Noir, microphone in hand, accompanied by a cameraman. 

“Ladybug, you and Chat Noir have done it again! You two certainly make a fine team.”

She turned her mic in Ladybug’s direction, wordlessly asking for comment.

“Yes, Chat Noir and I are a great team.” Ladybug looked towards Chat Noir with a grin. Nadja gave a slight grin as she asked her next question.

“And have you two made any move to become more than that?” 

Ladybug let out a groan. She gave Nadja a puzzled look. 

“This again?” 

Chat Noir sighed next to her. “We should go, m’lady.” 

Ladybug didn’t acknowledge him. “When will you drop this? Chat Noir and I are not a couple. And that’s not changing.” 

“Then how do you explain the photograph on the Ladyblog that was posted last week?”

Ladybug looked away. This must be the fiftieth time that question has come up, and she still couldn’t properly answer it. 

“No one has any memory of that day. One photo isn’t going to change how we feel the way you’d like it to. So as far as I’m concerned, it means nothing.”

As if on cue, she heard the familiar flashing of her earrings. She took the opportunity to escape and swung her yo-yo towards the nearest rooftop. Once she was out of range of the cameras and the crowd, she released a sigh. Chat Noir landed in front of her a moment later. His lidded eyes were deprived of their usual brightness -- something that happened any time someone brought up that photo. Ladybug felt the familiar tug of her heart at his saddened expression. 

“Are you okay, Chat?” 

He blinked at her. She only called him “Chat” or “Chat Noir” when things got like this, when their hearts were involved. Chat sighed and turned away from her. 

“I understand why, I really do, but it’s still hard.” 

Ladybug didn’t say a word, hoping that Chat would elaborate. He turned around to look into her eyes. 

“Whenever we’re asked that question, I know the answer you’ll give. But every time you actually say it, I can’t help but wonder… “ 

“... Wonder about…?”

“... That picture.” 

That picture. The picture that showed her kissing Chat Noir very clearly and consensually that Alya somehow got her hands on. She felt a shiver go through her veins, goosebumps decorating her arm under the suit. It still haunted her that she had no recollection of that moment. What about Chat Noir -- that convinced her to kiss him in that moment -- was erased from her mind when Oblivio was defeated? She looked back at Chat Noir with a sigh. 

“I don’t know what to tell you, Chat. I don’t remember that moment at all. I don’t understand why that picture exists.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “Do you remember anything about it?” 

Chat bit his lip. He looked hesitant to answer. Ladybug slightly tilted her head, searching his face for answers. Chat eventually sighed and dropped his shoulders.

“No. I don’t.” 

They stood silent for a moment. Ladybug felt the muscles around her stomach contorting uncomfortably. This was never a pleasant conversation. Ladybug thought back to every other time that someone questioned the depth of her relationship with Chat, every time someone called them “a couple.” She honestly hated it. Each time made her more and more frustrated, but she never stopped to think about what the increasing harshness of her answers did to Chat’s soul. As far as she knew, he still held real feelings for her. Guilt ate at her with each time that detail slipped her mind. 

But Marinette wants to be with Luka. By now she knew in her heart that those feelings don’t change when she’s Ladybug. She looked back at Chat, stiff as a board, eyes trained to the ground with a pained look on his face. Ladybug hated that, too. 

“I’m really sorry, Kitty. I don’t know what to do about this.”

Chat took in a deep breath and looked back at her. 

“It’s not your fault, m’lady. I respect your feelings. It may not seem like it now, but I’ll be okay in time. It’s just a bit strange to me though -- they’ve been dragging this on for a while, but I feel like your reaction to it has become different lately.”

Ladybug furrowed her brow. Chat stepped towards her.

“... Has it?”

Before she could respond, her earrings flashed once more, signaling her departure.

“We should talk more about this, but for now I have to go.” 

Chat nodded solemnly as she swung away without another word.

* * *

Marinette flopped onto her bed. Letting out a sigh, she allowed herself a moment to decompress. Her muscles slowly relaxed with each breath, and she slowly opened her eyes. She stared at her ceiling, thoughts and images from the day replaying in her mind and dredging up pressing topics. More specifically, how she was going to balance being a superhero and -- possibly -- a good girlfriend. And how she’d handle the city-wide belief that Ladybug and Chat Noir were an item. She furrowed her brow as she reached for a pillow to cover her face with. Tikki flew up to her with a curious look on her face. 

“Marinette, what’s on your mind?” 

Marinette let out a muffled groan..

“TIkki, I’m not sure what to do… “ She sat up on her bed. “I’ve decided that I really want to be with Luka, but I’m worried that being Ladybug at the same time might interfere with the possibility of a relationship.” She held a hand to her heart, feeling its quickened pace at her blunt confession. It made the decision to pursue Luka feel that much more… real. 

“Has this come up for past Ladybugs?”

“Of course it has!” Tikki exclaimed, waving her little hands in the air. “Love is just as timeless as the legend of the Miraculous.”

“Have any past Ladybugs had to reveal themselves because of a relationship?” Marinette pulled her knees up to her chest, anxiety pooling in her stomach as she anticipated the answer. 

“Only when the relationship became very serious. In fact, it was very common for both members to hold a Miraculous of their own, or for one to receive a Miraculous while the other already had one. So revealing themselves actually made the bond between them stronger in some cases.” 

Marinette’s eyes went wide. She’d never considered the possibility that Luka might also have a Miraculous. That would be so exciting… she thought of Alya and Nino, the looks on their faces when they revealed themselves to each other. A smile drew itself onto her face at the memory. 

“B-but that’s not guaranteed!” Tikki added with a worried tone in her voice, “With Ladybug specifically, revealing themselves for love happened very rarely. And when that did happen, it would still only occur if the relationship was deep enough,” Tikki’s face grew serious. “But times have changed and love looks different now, so it’ll be harder for me to know when that time comes up.” 

Tikki looked nostalgic as she continued. Marinette listened intently. “I always encouraged Ladybug to keep their secret for as long as they possibly could. Especially because the Ladybug Miraculous is the most powerful one of them all and comes with the most responsibility. You still need to be really careful. Then and now, there is always the possibility of someone else finding out your identity and using it against us.” 

Marinette gave Tikki a troubled look. That definitely helped ease the turbulence in her soul. At the same time it brought about new questions. Marinette knew the real identities of every person she’s given a Miraculous to, and she has not given one to Luka. Chat Noir’s identity was still a mystery, but there’s no way he’s Luka. He’s way too obnoxious to match Luka’s charm, in Marinette’s opinion. So it was most likely that he didn’t have one… at least, not yet. Marinette’s thoughts continue to swirl with possible outcomes and scenarios where she’d have to tell Luka that she’s Ladybug… Marinette couldn’t imagine a world where she had someone to share that with. The prospect felt so foreign and distant.

“But that’s not something you need to worry about yet, Marinette. Things are just beginning for you two!” Tikki said, breaking Marinette out of her thoughts. She gave Marinette a grin and a mid-air twirl that made her giggle. 

“So for the time being, I should just focus on trying this out and seeing where it goes, right?” Marinette asked, the hope slowly returning to her eyes.

“Right! We can worry about other things once they come up.”

Marinette thought for a moment. “Okay, but I’m also trying to consider this on a smaller scale -- what if there’s an akuma alert while I’m with him? I can’t just be ditching him in the middle of every other date without any explanation!”

She sighed. Tikki brought a hand to her chin.

“Again, I think that’s something we can figure out later on. I have full faith in your abilities to balance this, Marinette! Just like I did when you ran for Class Representative!” 

“Thanks, Tikki.” Marinette smiled for a moment, content to let those worries rest for the moment. Just as they got tucked away, her conversation with Chat Noir came flooding back to her mind to reignite the fog of doubt. 

“I guess I was also worried about whatever happened between Chat Noir and I when we fought Oblivio. That picture was taken by Alya, so I know it’s not fake, but I have no idea why we were kissing like that!” Marinette threw her hands into the air and flopped backwards onto the bed. The frustration ate at her fingertips and made her clench every muscle in her face. 

“And what’s worse is that no one in all of Paris will let it go! I’ve only tried to set the record straight a hundred times,” she let out a groan, “I mean, doesn’t it strike you as creepy that all of these people -- many of which are fully grown adults -- are so obsessed with the love lives of two teenagers they don’t even know?”

“You’re not wrong, but that’s sadly the price of fame in this age, Marinette.” 

Marinette sighed. Tikki was right. Marinette’s thoughts began to swirl once more. Was there anyone that possibly knew anything about what had happened that day? She gave Tikki a questioning look. 

“Do you happen to remember anything from that day?”

Tikki shook her head. 

“Not a thing.” 

Marinette stared at her ceiling, trying to collect what little she remembered about that day, just before being hit by Oblivio….

… wait. 

WAIT.

She yelled Tikki’s name and jolted upright, the sudden movement sending Tikki flying backward. 

“Just before I got hit, I remember writing something on the wall!” She pulled out her phone and tapped away.

“What was it?” TIkki asked as she recovered her composure.

Marinette pulled up a contact and turned the screen towards Tikki. Her eyes widened at the single turtle emoji.

“Master Fu? You mean he might know something?” 

“I’m sure of it. There was definitely a reason why this was the clue I left for myself. It’s worth a shot to ask him, right?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things! Just! Got! Interesting!  
> You didn't think I was just gonna ignore Oblivio, did you?? :D  
> I'm sorry if you feel this chapter doesn't have too much sustenance to it, but it's an important one for laying the foundation of the greater plot. I promise there's more to come!  
> I was so curious about what Marinette must've been thinking after all this went down, especially after Silencer. It was honestly so cruel to give us these eps right after each other! And what will it mean when her role as Ladybug comes into play?? But yeah, so this is me tying those thoughts into this tale and what it could mean for a potential relationship down the road.  
> There's a lot more to consider and things are gonna get wild! Idk about you all, but I'm honestly very excited!!  
> As always, I thrive from your comments! I love hearing what you think! Please tell me!!  
> Thank you all for sticking by this story so far! I'm really really looking forward to showing you more! Until next chapter! <3
> 
> P.S. I've recently learned how to make fics more accessible for readers who use audio to read fanfics! So I'm doing my best to implement that into this fic and make it as accessible to all kinds of readers as possible! If you have any tips/tricks to share with me about that, I'd love to hear them!


	5. The Measure

“I’m sorry Marinette, but it’s not my place to give you that information.”

“Master Fu, this has been driving me crazy ever since it happened. I’m worried about being able to move forward with my life because of something I can’t even remember doing,” Marinette took a deep breath in an attempt at settling her growing anxiety, “Is there anything at all you can tell me about that day?”

She sat across from Master Fu on the ground, pleading for anything to soothe her worries about that photograph. Tikki and Wayzz kept their distance while still being within earshot. They gave each other worried looks as Marinette continued to speak with Master Fu. He sighed and sat straight before answering.

“All I can say is that I received a phone call. It seems that you left that clue for yourself so you could figure out how to transform back into Ladybug. That’s all I talked with you about. The call cut out rather quickly, and I don’t know anything about what happened afterwards.” 

Marinette sighed. Wayzz nudged Tikki and motioned for her to follow him. They both disappeared through the wall to the adjacent room. 

Wayzz addressed Tikki with a conflicted expression.

“There’s something else about that call you need to know, Tikki. But you can’t tell your owner no matter what.” 

TIkki’s eyes widened as she nodded. 

“Ladybug and Chat Noir were together during that call. They knew each other’s identities.” Wayzz continued in a hushed tone, “Master said it’d be okay once the Miraculous Ladybug power reverted Oblivio’s damage. But I have a feeling that those two connected because they knew that they were destined to be together.”  
Tikki’s shock was evident on her face. 

“That explains everything…” She began carefully, mulling through her thoughts as she spoke, “They must’ve noticed their affections somehow after calling Master Fu, and that’s what led to the kiss!” Tikki fell silent as panic took over her expression.

“But Wayzz, Marinette is in love with someone else!”

“What?” 

Tikki nodded at him. “She came here for information so that she could pursue that relationship without anything holding her back. How am I supposed to let her do that while knowing all of this?”

Wayzz shrugged. “Maybe it’d be best for you to talk to Plagg.”

* * *

“It’s just that it freaks me out that all this happened and I can’t seem to connect to any of it. What if it ends up messing with other people or relationships in my life?” Marinette asked the question heavily, feeling the desperate and sad tone drip from her tongue. Master Fu thought for a moment before taking a breath and addressing her. 

“For the time being I would recommend not letting this hold you back. Has anything else about being Ladybug strongly affected anyone in your personal life so far?” 

Marinette thought for a moment. There were many times where she had to ditch friends when an akumatized victim arose, but in the end those relationships were still intact. Aside from thinking she’s strange, there hasn’t been anything significantly negative about Ladybug’s role in her life. She shook her head. 

“Then I’m sure everything will be fine, Marinette.” 

Master Fu nodded towards Marinette, who still seemed to be calculating just how everything would be fine down the road. A little voice in her head -- which sounded a lot like Tikki’s -- told her to reel back and focus on the present. She smiled at Master Fu.

“Thank you, Master Fu. I’ll be sure to remember that.” 

Wayzz and Tikki re-entered the room just as Marinette stood up to leave. After bowing and promising to visit again soon, Marinette and Tikki took their leave. 

“How do you feel, Marinette?” Tikki asked as they made their way down the road.

“I feel a little better. Master Fu said that things will be okay, so I think I just need to take the days as they come instead of trying to prepare for everything.” Marinette smiled, a look of ease on her expression. 

From within her hiding space in Marinette’s bag, Tikki let out a sigh. Wayzz was right -- maybe talking to Plagg about this would be a good idea.

* * *

‘Good morning, Marinette! Hope you slept well. Do you have any plans today?’

Marinette smiled through her drowsiness at the message, sleepily typing out a reply before getting out of bed. 

“You’re looking very chipper, Marinette!” TIkki said as she followed Marinette about the room. Marinette grinned as she brushed her hair.

“I guess waking up to a text from Luka is bound to do that!” Marinette could feel the butterflies flying through her veins, the muscles in her cheeks refusing to yield their hold on her smile. It astounded her how much of an impact a single text message was having on her. Well, that used to happen when Adrien would text her, but the feeling was different this time. Perhaps getting a text purely out of being wanted had a better effect than a text that was out of necessity, like a school project or something. 

Once Marinette was dressed for the day, she headed down to the bakery. Her parents were already hard at work preparing to open while she ate breakfast. 

“So, honey,” Sabine began as she tucked some bread loaves away, “how was your date with Luka the other day?” 

Marinette choked on her food. She definitely didn’t expect that question this early in the morning. 

After regaining her composure -- and after hearing a soft chuckle from her mother -- she gave a nervous smile. 

“Uh, it was nice. We’re actually going to do something today, too.” She spoke softly as she glanced at her father. She hadn’t forgotten what happened last time he thought she was in love. He stood tensed for a moment before he went back to work. Marinette looked to Sabine, who came over and put a hand on her shoulder. 

“That’s wonderful, Marinette.” Sabine’s expression fell a bit as she continued. “I know you’re a smart girl who can watch after her own heart, but I do hope you’ll forgive your father for needing some time. He’s watching out for you, yes, but he’s also working on not getting his own hopes up.” 

Marinette nodded. After giving Sabine a hug she made her way over to Tom and put a hand on his arm. 

“Dad, can we talk?” 

Tom sighed before nodding. The two of them headed up the stairs to their living room. They were quiet for a few moments before Marinette quietly spoke up. 

“I know what happened between Chat Noir and I was really hard on you. I’m lucky to have a dad that cares as much as you do.” 

“Thank you, honey.” Tom said as he put a hand on her shoulder. “I just... don’t like seeing you get hurt.” 

“I know.” Marinette frowned, guilt overcoming her as she remembered the fake show she put on that caused her father’s pain. 

“Your mother seems to really like this Luka,” Tom said. Marinette let out a small chuckle. 

“Yeah, he’s great.” 

Tom leaned forward slightly to look into Marinette’s eyes. 

“And from what I hear, he seems to like you a lot, too.” 

Marinette could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. She couldn’t help the smile that crept onto her face. Tom laughed. After a few moments, Marinette joined in. 

When they calmed down, Tom gave Marinette a pat on the back. 

“I trust you, Marinette. I’ll still worry, but I’ll try not to butt in this time.” 

“Thanks, Dad.” Marinette said with a smile. 

Tom rose and went back towards the stairs. 

“Oh, and Marinette?” He called back to her. 

“Yeah?”

“Let me know when we can have Luka over for dinner!”

With a wink, he disappeared down the stairs. Marinette groaned into her hands.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Marinette sat with Luka on his bed while he strummed his guitar. The faint aroma of the river accompanied the sweet fragrance that always seemed to fill the little houseboat. No wonder the ship was called La Liberté -- the air felt so limitless and freeing. The bed felt soft under her, and Luka's playing soothed her soul in that magical way only he could do. Natural light from the open window illuminated the cozy space and accentuated Luka’s expression in just the right places. Marinette couldn’t look away. She took in a slow, deep breath.

“This reminds me of the day we met,” She said, relaxing her shoulders and letting her head lean on the wall behind her. 

Luka smiled. The tune he played picked up in pace, the notes hitting a new register. Marinette stared at his fingers as they glided over the frets. 

“Is that how you felt that day?” She asked, referring to the tune. 

He looked up at her and his smile grew. 

“That day, and each one since.” 

Marinette smiled, her face surely growing more red. Luka took off his neck strap and set the guitar down before scooting over to sit at her side. 

“I’m glad you came by today, Marinette.” He held out his hand, and she took it almost instinctively. 

“Me, too.” 

“It’s funny,” Luka began with a reflective look on his face, “when we met I was so bad with words. It’s something I’m exploring -- I still think music makes more sense, provides more clarity, but meeting you made me want to learn a new language, so to speak.” 

Marinette’s heart felt ready to explode. She hadn’t a clue just how much Luka thought about that. It filled her to the brim with joy. 

“I kinda saw it happening to Juleka, too,” he went on. “Before getting together with Rose she was always so anxious about being social. I worried about her a lot, especially after she got akumatized.” 

Luka took in a breath as his brow contorted. Marinette gave his hand a little squeeze, hoping that would help reground him. He stayed silent for a moment before continuing. 

“But then Rose came along, and things started shifting. I saw her become more confident in herself, letting herself loose. It’s amazing. Not to say that it wouldn’t have happened at all without Rose, but I do think she helped Juleka jumpstart that process.” 

“That’s wonderful,” Marinette said. Memories of Reflecta ran through her mind and compared themselves to the Juleka she was so much closer to now, and the changes -- while slight -- did show through. Juleka seemed to be a lot happier nowadays. 

“You know, you inspired me, too,” she started softly, “I was so awestruck when you were able to capture my feelings with just a few notes on your guitar… I still find myself wondering how you do that. You opened my eyes to how deep music can be.”

She looked into his eyes. The crisp blue color tore through her, and she suddenly felt short of breath. The warmth from his hand spread through her like a gentle breeze. Butterflies flew through all of her nerves and her heart ran a mile a minute through her ribcage as she subconsciously tightened her grip on Luka’s hand. 

“I want to learn your language, Luka.” 

Luka’s smile turned into a toothy grin. His eyes seemed to glow even more, filling up with a beautiful light that Marinette couldn’t find the words to describe. 

“Come here, you.” Luka said as he pulled Marinette into his embrace. Marinette squealed as he wrapped his arms around her tightly, pushing her face into his shoulder. She returned the hug and smiled into the fabric of his jacket, taking in the comforting scent of jasmine that emanated from it. Gosh, he gave great hugs… she could stay like that forever. Engulfed in his warmth, soothed by his scent, and strengthened by his affections. She loved everything about this. 

They stayed in their embrace for what seemed like ages. Luka pulled Marinette in even closer and leaned his head against hers. Marinette’s grip on him tightened as her body slowly relaxed into his touch. She buried her face into the nape of his neck, wanting more and more of his warmth. 

“I have a question to ask you, Marinette.” Luka’s breath against her ear sent a shiver through her, it took all she had to not squirm in his arms. She turned her face towards his as he pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes with a serious expression. His face was just inches from hers. Marinette could feel more heat rising to her head, but felt a calming sensation as she gazed into his eyes. 

“I feel like now is a good time to ask you this.” He said gently. 

“Okay,” Marinette said, anxious to know what he was going to say. 

Luka took in a deep breath. Marinette faintly felt a tremor in his hands that still rested on her back. She linked her arms together around him and gave a little reassuring squeeze. He smiled at the feeling. 

“Marinette,” he began softly, eyes unmoving from hers, “would you like to be my girlfriend?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand we're back!! I HAVE BEEN WAITING TO POST THIS FOR SO LOOONG, and now the time is here!! I really really loved writing this chapter, I hope you all like reading it!  
> I"m so excited, we're entering a really fun stretch here. A lot's going on, but there's also some simple moments, so I hope you all enjoy that!   
> I'm trying to balance this fic out as best as I can, with the right amount of fluff and plot building, and then eventually the two seemingly separate ideas will intersect. So I hope you all are as excited as I am!!   
> And I hope you like a good cliffy!! As someone who personally HATES cliffhangers, I had to do it to em. You're welcome.   
> Please do tell me what you think of this one! I'm really excited for you all to see what comes next -- it's gonna be so great!! It's really hard for me to not include spoilers in these notes omfg  
> Have a lovely day, wherever you are, and I will see you at the next chapter!! <3


	6. The Cue

While Marinette was with Luka, she had given Tikki permission to go see Wayzz, who’d promised to get Plagg to come talk with them both while Master Fu napped. Tikki had explained everything to Plagg and Wayzz, and now the three were sorting out what to do. 

“So they kissed because they found clues about themselves that convinced them that they were an item, and that they just didn’t remember it?” Plagg asked. 

“That’s the assumption,” Tikki said, anxiety making her voice slightly quiver. 

“Man, even they knew how obvious it was without even remembering their own names.” Plagg said with a scoff. 

Wayzz and Tikki nodded in agreement. 

“But anyway, I don’t know what to do now that my owner wants to pursue another relationship. I don’t want this to ruin what could be really good for her.” Tikki said. 

“Well, we all know that Chat Noir is in deep for Ladybug -- he has been since they first met -- but that doesn’t matter if she doesn’t love him,” Plagg said. “All that we can really do is support what they want to do.”

“Right, but I just don’t want to lead her into something that’s doomed to fail because of her role as Ladybug,” Tikki said, looking worried. “There have been tricky situations like this before, and while it’s always produced a different outcome, all of them involved a lot of pain.” 

She took a breath before continuing. “We know that Ladybug and Chat Noir weren’t always destined to be. But I’m worried because the signs are pointing to that this time and it’s not the direction she wants to go in. At least, not now.” 

“But as we’ve seen, love is stronger than even the powers of the Miraculous. If that love isn’t something she’ll find with Chat Noir, then I don’t think pushing them together just because that’s the more common ending will do anyone any good.” Plagg said, sounding annoyed at the prospect. 

“Plagg is right, Tikki,” Wayzz chimed in. “Plus, you can’t protect your owner from pain. It’s a part of life. If it happens, it’ll help her in the end.” 

“They’re only teenagers after all,” Plagg began. “They still have so much ahead of them, and so much time to figure out their lives.”

Tikki thought for a moment before responding. 

“I hadn’t thought about that,” She started as she looked back and forth between Plagg and Wayzz. “We’re all so used to each decision being a permanent one that it’s a bit hard for me to remember that there’s a lot more room for exploration in this day and age.” 

“Precisely!” Wayzz said. “This is an important stage in a human’s life. This is when their hearts and minds do the most growing. It all helps shape who they become in the future, when those decisions will become more permanent.” Wayzz spoke with a nostalgic tone, glancing over at Master Fu’s napping figure before returning to the conversation.

Tikki sighed. She was reminded of countless times she’d sat with Marinette, who would have tears in her eyes and bruises on her heart at the idea of never receiving Adrien’s love. Every time was worse than the last. With each one, Tikki would feel more and more helpless about how to help, especially after she found out that Adrien is Chat Noir. Knowing that had been a weight on her, and she’d feel a pang of guilt each time Ladybug flat-out rejected Chat Noir, and then Marinette would come home and gush over Adrien. 

But Marinette’s resilient attitude about love never faltered and that gave Tikki hope. And now her feelings are being reciprocated, her energy being returned right back to her in the ways that she deserves at an even -- or possibly stronger -- rate. If destiny does try to intervene on her and Luka, there’s no doubt Marinette won’t fight back. The thought of it put a smile on Tikki’s face. 

“There’s that smile, Sugarcube!” Plagg said with joy, bringing Tikki back to the present. She rolled her eyes, but couldn’t stop her smile from growing. She turned back to Wayzz. 

“So for now I should let her be, and I’ll be there for her no matter what happens.” 

Wayzz nodded. “The choice is hers, after all. Destiny may have coincided with Ladybug’s choices in the past, but regardless of how it looks, the will of the individual has more power. Provide support, as you always have. She’ll be okay.” 

Tikki smiled. “Thank you, Wayzz.”

“Plagg,” she began, turning to him. “Make sure you’re there for your owner, too. I don’t imagine it’ll be long before all of their friends find out about this and spread it around.”

Plagg’s eyes flashed with anguish before he grinned. 

“Of course! I’ll be there no matter what!”

* * *

While Plagg was on his way back home, he couldn’t help the frustration that boiled within him. The moment he learned Marinette was Ladybug flashed before his eyes and he let out an angry grunt. The whole time, Adrien was crazy about the girl who was so obviously in love with him, yet somehow Adrien had always been blind to it. And now that Marinette had understandably given up and was now trying to move on, how in the world will he continue to handle Adrien’s ever-so-hopeful persistence for Ladybug’s heart? Now that there’s a likelihood of there being no chance? The sky above seemed to reflect Plagg’s worries, growing slightly dimmer as clouds started to obscure the sun while he flew through the bustling city. 

“Well, it’s not like she’ll immediately start dating this person, right? There’s still some time.” He said to himself, trying to spin the situation. 

Plagg thought back to the conversation he’d had with Tikki and Wayzz. While he knew he was right about what he said to Tikki, to not put pressure on some predetermined fate that Ladybug and Chat Noir may share, that both Adrien and Marinette deserved better than that (especially Adrien, in Plagg’s opinion. But he may or may not be a bit biased), he couldn’t help but wish he was wrong. Not only for Adrien’s sake, but for his own as well. Adrien’s feelings for Ladybug were what kept him going in an otherwise cold and lonely world. He’d already lost so much, Plagg didn’t even want to consider what would happen if he were to find out that the subject of his affections didn’t return those feelings towards him. 

And what about Plagg? Centuries have passed, yet every opportunity to plainly tell Tikki how he feels about her passed with them... At least Adrien had the guts to do that much. Where would the opportunity be this time if their owners weren’t even meant to be? 

Plagg let out a groan as he looked forward, quickly approaching the Agreste mansion and flying towards Adrien’s bedroom window. When he entered the room, Adrien was sitting at his desktop and talking on the phone. Plagg helped himself to a piece of camembert from Adrien’s stash and took it over to the desk. He sighed as he took a seat and stared at the cheese. 

“At least my camembert will always be there for me,” he said before downing the piece in one go. Adrien glanced over and grinned before finishing up his conversation and hanging up the phone. 

“How was your visit to Master Fu’s, Plagg?” 

“Oh, fine! Usual kwami business, no big deal,” he said, his voice cracking. A wave of guilt settled itself in his stomach as he remembered his promise to never lie to Adrien again. Or maybe he just ate the cheese too fast again.

Or maybe both.

“Who were you talking to?”

“That was Nino.” Adrien tapped away at his keyboard while addressing Plagg. “He said Alya’s been over the moon lately because of some romantic gossip or something.”

Plagg’s eyes widened. He tried to mask his anxiety by grabbing another piece of camembert.

“Oh, gossip! A-anything interesting?” He cringed at his tone. Adrien may be dense, but he could read Plagg decently well. He continued with grabbing the cheese slowly, hoping Adrien wouldn’t catch onto his stress. 

“Apparently Marinette and Luka went on a date recently, and it went well.” 

Plagg dropped the cheese. 

So it was really true now. It wasn’t just a “possibility” anymore, but reality. He turned around and flew back to Adrien.

“Oh, really?” He tried his hardest to not look overly-invested in the topic as he examined Adrien’s face for possible reactions. “A-and how do you feel about that?” 

Adrien’s typing paused as he turned towards Plagg. He gave a little shrug.

“I think it’s nice. They seem good together, I hope it works out for them. A bit unexpected, maybe, but not in a bad way.” He said in a rush before going back to typing. 

Plagg tilted his head as he continued to watch Adrien’s face. There was something else in those eyes, something to which Plagg couldn’t put a word. He couldn’t tell if he should pry or let it be. 

After a moment Plagg flew down to collect his fallen cheese, deciding to let Adrien come around on his own instead of pressing the issue. But he knew for sure that something else was going on in Adrien’s head. If it was related to this or not, he couldn’t tell.

* * *

Marinette’s eyes went wide. Sure, she knew this question would come up eventually, but she did not expect it to happen right then. She suddenly felt short of breath and her heart pounded with excitement, her lips stretching to an uncontainable smile. The heat in her cheeks felt so intense that she looked away from Luka, burying her face into his shoulder as she erupted in giggles. 

Her mind was mush. Sometimes she imagined what it would be like to hear that question from Luka, but actually being in the moment… she didn’t know what to do. She must look foolish right now, beet-red and giggling like a maniac. Her stomach fluttered with glee as she subconsciously folded further in on herself. She lifted her head off Luka’s shoulder and took a deep breath. She slowly looked back at him, her heart jumping at the flushed cheeks and toothy grin that took over his expression. The now overcast sky did little to take away from the brightness of his face. If anything, it further made it stand out. And Marinette knew she was already helplessly entranced. 

She nodded.

“Yeah. Yeah, I-” she gulped back the lump in her throat and gripped his hand tightly- “I-I would really like that!” 

At the crack of her voice, her body tensed up and with her free hand she reached up and fiddled with the ends of her hair. She definitely had more chill in her mental ideas of this moment. But as Luka suddenly took her in his arms again, her muscles relaxed; the jitters melt away and give space for genuine happy laughter. She released a sigh as she reveled in his warmth. His grip on her tightened.

“I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” he whispered in her ear. The sensation sent a pleasant shiver down her spine.

Her heart was buzzing. Luka... He’s actually her boyfriend now. The thought overwhelmed her. She giggled once more as she nestled deeper into his embrace, her eyes fluttering shut. 

“I feel the same way.” 

There was no room for doubts or ‘what ifs’ anymore. No more chances for her mind to play tricks on her. Nothing else mattered in that moment, except for what lay ahead for them. And Marinette could not wait to see what that was.

Luka pulled back and looked right into her eyes. Marinette gladly let herself get lost in his gaze, which mimicked an ocean current, pulling her into the depths. His smile glowed. Marinette counted herself lucky to be able to witness it. Who gave him the right to be so beautiful?

Luka’s hand came up to caress Marinette’s cheek and she immediately leaned into his touch. So gentle, yet sturdy. It somehow made her want to cry. She could even feel the stinging of tears behind her eyes. 

Luka pressed his forehead to hers gently, a gesture Marinette now adored. The warmth that filled her heart spread throughout her body. This one simple touch from him… somehow made her feel so precious. 

Luka’s hand moved from her cheek to caress her head from behind. His eyes slowly glided away from hers to glance at her lips. Marinette felt her muscles tense as she shyly bit her lip. She slightly tilted her head upwards in anticipation. Luka’s eyes lingered on her lips for a moment before he closed them and let out a breathy chuckle. She wondered if Luka could hear how fast her heart was beating. 

As he looked back into her eyes he leaned in further. Marinette closed her eyes. She could feel the heat of his breath against her skin before feeling a gentle touch on her cheek. She cracked her eyes open once Luka pulled away to see his bright-red face and blissful smile, along with a little hint of mischief in those eyes. She let out a breath as her expression slightly dropped. He placed a hand under her chin and lifted her head to look at him. One more glance into those half-lidded eyes told Marinette that he knew exactly what he was doing, and that he enjoyed every bit of it. She pouted at him and puffed out her cheeks and Luka burst into laughter. 

Regardless of her slight disappointment Marinette couldn’t help but laugh along. Luka’s light-hearted expression as his shoulders rose and fell gave the already bright room a new light, and she was ready to fully bask in it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again all!! I'm sorry for the wait for this one, life has been busy! But I made this one extra lovely to make up for it!  
> 𝘪 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘩𝘦𝘩𝘦𝘩𝘦
> 
> And what about Adrien?? Gee, I wonder what's up with that boy... I guess we'll see! I had a whole lot of fun putting this chapter together, and I am just super excited for the next few chapters! They're gonna be really awesome and fun! And they'll help me gauge how much longer this story will be. When I have a concrete number of chapters, I'll update that lil' question mark!  
> Thank you all for sticking by this, I hope you enjoy this chapter!! I absolutely ADORE seeing comments from you all -- sometimes when I need a push to keep writing, I go back and look at them and it reminds me that I get to share this with so many wonderful people that are really happy with it, and that makes me want to keep writing! It makes me so unbelievably happy! So please do leave a comment if you'd like, even if it's just keysmash or something I swear I will EAT IT ALL UP ♥️♥️
> 
> Thanks again, all! I'll see you at chapter 7! <3


	7. The Rest

Alya, Juleka, Rose, Mylène, and Alix erupted into squeals in the middle of the school’s courtyard as Marinette told them what had happened with Luka. Rose wiped away tears from her face as the girls shared a group hug. 

“Marinette, I’m so happy for you!” she said with glee. 

“I knew it’d happen eventually!” Alix said. 

“Keep it down over there, losers!” A sudden shrill voice yelled from across the courtyard. The girls pulled away and spotted Chloé and Sabrina glaring at them from afar. Marinette felt her jaw tightening as she gritted her teeth. Alya put a hand on her shoulder.

“Leave it be, Marinette. She’s just jealous of your happiness!” 

The girls laughed as Chloé scoffed and stormed off, muttering insults at them as Sabrina followed her. 

Nino and Adrien looked on from behind the group. Nino grinned at them while Adrien furrowed his brow. 

“Well, what do you know,” Nino began, “looks like that date went better than I originally thought!” He turned to look at Adrien and his expression fell.

“You okay, Adrien?” he asked as he put a hand on Adrien’s shoulder.

Adrien stayed silent, as if he hadn’t heard Nino. His eyes were fixed forward as his muscles went stiff. Nino shook him.

“Hello? Adrien? You still there?”

Adrien blinked as he settled back into reality and turned to Nino. 

“Sorry, what did you say?” 

Nino gave him a look before replacing his smile.

“Isn’t it great that things worked out for Marinette and Luka? They seem like a good pair.” He said as he looked back towards Marinette and her friends. 

Adrien followed his gaze back to her and took a breath. Looking at her now, with beet-red cheeks and that radiant smile -- the kind that could only come from being in love -- he felt a slight pain in his chest. 

… What? Why did it hurt? 

He quickly shot Nino a grin so as to hopefully hide his pain.

“Yeah, I’m happy for them.” 

As the words left his mouth, a dryness settled in his throat. The words didn’t feel untrue, per say, but they didn’t feel completely accurate, either. He lightly touched his chest and cast his eyes downward as his mind suddenly swam with questions and emotions.

* * *

Marinette’s smile must’ve been permanently stuck to her face. Unsurprisingly, word quickly spread of her new romance, and everyone in her class -- minus Chloé and Sabrina, of course -- gave her support and kind words throughout the day. 

Though one other person had failed to say anything. 

It was strange to her that Adrien hadn’t said a word yet. Not just about Luka, but he hadn’t so much as glanced in her direction all day. Even as they sat in Ms. Boustier’s class, having been paired up for an in-class project, he hardly looked at her. Maybe he’s just focused on the work, she thought to herself. After all, he’d been that way in the past. Though as she thought more about it, even during those times they always seemed to pass even just a little back-and-forth banter. She leaned down a bit to look at his face and found a frown. Her brow furrowed as she pondered what could be upsetting him, and thought it best not to pry.

… For a moment. 

“Is everything okay, Adrien? You don’t look too good.” 

His pencil suddenly stopped, and her body froze. Not only did it come out involuntarily, but even now she could never seem to say anything the way she meant to around him. She lightly facepalmed before sighing and sitting up straight. 

“What I mean is, you seem upset. Is there anything you want to talk about?” 

At least now she could actually stay cool enough to correct herself. A small sense of pride filled her at the thought. 

Adrien slowly lifted his head, but still wouldn’t look at her. 

“I appreciate you worrying, Marinette, but I’m fine.” 

He gave her a smile and went back to work. The cold tone of his voice sent an eerie shiver down Marinette’s spine. He’d never spoken to her in that way before. She didn’t believe him for a second, but pressing the matter wouldn’t help. With a small sigh, she went back to work as well.

* * *

“Awww, look how cute they are!!” Rose exclaimed as she, Juleka, and Ivan observed Luka teaching Marinette to play a guitar chord in the living room of La Liberté. Marinette’s face turned beet red as Luka stood behind her to guide her hands atop his guitar while whispering in her ear. 

“They are really cute,” Ivan said as he sat at his drum set. “But if we’re going to practice at all today we’d better get started soon!” He tapped his snare a few times to get their attention.

“Hey lovebirds, let’s get to work!”

Luka and Marinette snapped up, both with a deep red blush across their cheeks. Marinette had completely forgotten where they were, having been swept away by Luka’s presence once again. She quickly handed his guitar to him and he pecked her cheek before making his way back to the band. She couldn’t help the grin on her face as her face flared up once more. She sat down with her hands on her cheeks to watch the group practice. 

Marinette focused in on her breathing in an attempt to get her heart to slow down. Between having Luka that close to her to being called out by onlookers was too much to bear. She looked up after a few moments just as Kitty Section began playing their latest song. This was Marinette’s second time hearing it, yet it sounded so fresh and new to her ears. Every time she watched them practice she was blown away at their ability to make their music sound so unique each time they play it, while still holding onto what makes it familiar and lovable. She looked between Luka and Juleka, noticing the slight differences in the way they strummed their guitars. But from watching Luka do it so intimately, she could tell that Juleka spoke the same language that Luka was so fluent in. The one she now wanted to understand. 

Marinette stared at the way Luka’s fingers moved across the guitar strings. So gently yet effectively, as if each note were a precious gem. It was enthralling to watch. Her mind slowly wandered, remembering how he’d used that same gentle touch on her cheek. A phantom feeling of his touch grazed her face and she sighed. If he was treating her in the same precious way that he was treating his music, well, how did she possibly get that lucky?

‘Marinette,’ she heard his smooth voice in her mind. She really enjoyed hearing him say her name. He always said it with purpose, like he held each opportunity to say it with the highest regard, that he wouldn’t want to waste it. She sighed again. 

“...Marinette?” 

Luka crouched down in front of her and took in her glossy gaze. He chuckled as he poked her forehead. She blinked, then shocked herself out of her daze. The others laughed as she sprawled around and brought herself back to reality. Somehow the hour of practice had already come and gone, and the band was packing up the instruments. 

“Wait, you’re already finished?” Marinette asked.

“That’s right,” Luka began, “we played through our set and made improvement assignments.” He stood back up and offered her his hand. 

“You looked like you were thinking about a lot, I thought it best to leave you be.” 

Marinette blushed at the comment and the sudden proximity of Luka’s face. She let out a sheepish laugh. 

“Oh, it was nothing!” 

From the other end of the room, Rose and Juleka giggled. 

“They are so precious!” Rose gushed. Juleka nodded. 

“Are you going to talk to him today?” Rose asked as she grabbed Juleka’s hand with both of hers. 

“Yeah,” Juleka answered, “I should go grab him now.” 

Rose gave her a kiss on the cheek and followed Ivan up the stairs to the ship’s deck. Juleka took in a breath, then walked up to Luka and Marinette. She slowly reached out and tapped Luka’s shoulder. He instantly turned around, and nodded at her after a moment. He turned back to Marinette.

“Marinette, I’ll text you when I’m on my way to meet you. Does that sound good?”

“O-oh, yeah!” Marinette said, caught a bit off guard. She made her way to the stairwell. 

“I’ll see you later then!” 

Luka waved at her, then followed Juleka into her room.

* * *

Luka took a seat on Juleka’s bed as she got situated in her chair, an ingrained formation the two had built for whenever they were to have a talk with each other. Luka smiled. He loved talking with Juleka. While she may not be very vocal with her friends, she always had something beautiful to impart on him, whether it be with her words or her heart. Which is why he was so happy when she asked him this morning if they could talk after practice. He sat back against the wall and waited for her to begin. 

Juleka took a deep breath, then looked up at Luka. 

“How are things?” She asked, hands pressed firmly in her lap. 

“Things are wonderful, Juleka,” he started with a blissful sigh. “I feel like I can be more open than ever. Even though it took Marinette some time to understand her feelings, I feel so honored to be with her in this way.”

Juleka looked at her brother’s carefree expression, face beet-red and eyes glowing. When was the last time his smile was that big? Ah -- the day he got his now favorite guitar. The one that truly unlocked his language. And that one was sheltered behind everything else they’d gone through for so long now. She couldn’t help but smile. 

“You’re so happy,” she started. “It’s been so long.” 

Luka looked at her and his smile grew. He nodded. 

“I know. It feels like forever since my heart has sung this much.” 

Juleka walked over and sat next to Luka, who immediately pulled her into a hug. Juleka tightly held her arms around Luka. 

“It might be time to rewrite your melody,” she said quietly. Luka went stiff for a moment before slowly lowering his head onto Juleka’s shoulder. 

“You might be right.” His voice was quiet, as if a million thoughts occupied his mind while he spoke.

“Are… other things going okay?” she asked, her voice hesitant. 

“Yeah,” Luka started, “I haven’t had any intrusive thoughts or anything for almost a month, and I’m slowly learning about myself and what I need when it happens.” 

Juleka smiled and held him tighter. She thought back to just months ago, when Luka’s depression would hit hard, and she and her mother didn’t know how to help. It was painful to see her seemingly invincible brother in pain. Looking at him now, no one would guess what he was experiencing. 

“I’m really happy for you,” she said. Luka’s eyes stung with the onset of tears as he held her tighter and placed a kiss on her cheek. He was so lucky that his little sister was also his best friend. He wouldn’t know what to do without her. He gently lifted the bangs from her face to look into both of her eyes. 

“Thank you, Juleka. I love you.”

* * *

Marinette had arranged to meet Luka near the school. As she walked up to the front doors, a silver car pulled up to the curb behind her. Right away she knew that it was Adrien’s bodyguard. As if on cue, Adrien popped out from the doors. 

“Oh, hey Adrien!” Marinette said with a small wave. Adrien flinched and looked up at her as if she were a stranger. Marinette’s brow furrowed. Even though the look was gone in seconds as he smiled at her, it was now ingrained in Marinette’s mind. There was definitely something going on with him. Had she done something wrong? 

“Hey, Marinette. What are you doing here?” 

“I’m meeting Luka,” she said slowly, still recovering from that foreign gaze. “Is everything okay? I feel like you’ve been acting different recently.” 

“I’m fine,” he turned away from her and began making his way to the car. “Just tired. I have to go -- I’ll see you later.” 

Marinette watched him hop into the car, tracing it as it drove away until she couldn’t see it anymore. Adrien had never closed himself off from her like this. Why wouldn’t he talk to her? 

Just as her mind raced with irrational possibilities of how she could’ve caused this change, she heard her name be called and turned around to find Luka turning the corner. Relief washed away her racing thoughts as he pulled her into a hug. She sighed as his warmth reached her heart. 

“How are you?” she asked. 

“Lovely,” he said, “especially now that I get to see you.” 

Marinette’s cheeks flared up as she let out a nervous chuckle. It’d take her a while to get used to such compliments. 

They made their way downtown and stopped into some local shops as they walked, talking endlessly along the way about whatever came up. After spotting an old gaming system in a vintage shop, Marinette had begun to go on about her love for gaming.

“My mom’s main player is Kirby, which is why playing against anyone else who mains that isn’t a big deal for me anymore,” she said with a laugh. “She’s beaten me enough times for me to figure out all of Kirby’s tricks! Though with the newest game I still need to figure out a few things… ” 

Luka chuckled as he observed her: eyes glittering while she spoke, voice filled with such passion and love, adorable hand motions to emphasize her points -- she was beautiful. His heart began to speed up and he couldn’t help but smile. 

“I would love to see you play sometime,” he said. “It seems like you really love this game.” 

Marinette smiled and said, “I’d love to show it to you.”

Luka couldn’t look away from Marinette’s eyes -- clear blue, like a precious crystal that has just been polished. Bright and full of life. He felt his knees wanting to give way as he admired the way those eyes caught the sun and gleamed at him. For one reason or another, he wanted to cry. The kind of tears you shed when you can’t believe the raw beauty in front of you is real. How’d he get so lucky?

Just as Luka was going to respond, the two perked up as they heard a siren. 

A siren that Parisians were all too familiar with.

An akuma was on the attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello again, friends!  
> Also, before you ask me this -- I wrote that Kitty Section scene with Luka showing Marinette the guitar notes BEFORE Desperada was out so like... I feel like I'm owed some compensation for that LMAO  
> I'm sorry this one took so long -- I had to step away from the entire show for a bit because canon made me very angry when Desperada aired and I had to recollect myself in order to put good energy into this fic. And I also took some time to go through and make sure I was treating the characters well while also keeping them in character. Would love to hear your thoughts on this part!  
> But anyway, chapter 7 is a bit longer because of that and I hope it is satisfactory! I had a ton of fun with this one, it made me very giddy!  
> But anyway -- hey! Characters are becoming more complex and we're learning more about what makes them who they are! That's always fun! As someone who has depression, I thought this would be a good way to write about it and give it some good representation. The kind I wish I had when I was sorting through my own issues with it. I hope you all will stick around with me to see where that part goes! Along with everything else, of course -- what's Marinette going to do now that she's WITH Luka and an akuma's around?? :O  
> And future updates hopefully won't take this long. Because I do care about this fic and am making sure to keep it inspired, sometimes this might be the case but I'm going to try and give it some more attention to make those times less frequent.  
> I saw some new comments on past chapters recently and was like "wAIT OMG I GOTTA WRITE" and I gotta say -- I love that feeling!! So thank you all for leaving me comments, they mean so much to me! I hope you'll continue to do so!  
> I hope you are all doing well and I hope you enjoy reading this chapter!  
> So much love to you all, and I'll see you at chapter 8! <3


End file.
